     The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District is draining Lake Ogallala, on the North Platte River just downstream of Lake McConaughy and Kingsley Dam, for maintenance on the Keystone Diversion Dam.
    The dam helps regulate the amount of water into the district’s canals, the North Platte River, and Nebraska Public Power District’s Sutherland Canal. NPPD is coordinating with Central and Nebraska Game and Parks on the project.Â
Water flows into Lake Ogallala primarily through the Kingsley Hydro Station, owned and operated by Central Nebraska, so the power plant will shut down once the lake level is low enough
Crews will be reapplying a protective coating to the five gates on the south side of the Keystone Diversion Dam, with Central Nebraska, NPPD, and Nebraska Game and Parks working together closely during the process.
The Sutherland Canal provides water for irrigation, hydropower, and cooling for the Gerald Gentleman Station, NPPD’s 1300-megawatt coal plant located near Sutherland.
NPPD says the coal plant won’t be affected by the maintenance project because water stored in the Sutherland Reservoir will be used for cooling until flows resume in the canal, which is scheduled to be some time in mid-to-late November.